Snack your way to an energized day

If you find yourself snacking between meals, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, planning healthy snacks is a helpful tool for sticking with your health goals. Choosing your snacks wisely can help you feel strong and satisfied throughout the day. And who doesn’t want that?

Snacks are also a great opportunity to get nutrition in your day that you’ve missed in other meals. Fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean proteins are all healthy choices. Use these building blocks to plan snacks that are satisfying and nutritious:

Fruits and veggies:

• Raw carrot or celery sticks
• Bell pepper or cucumber spears
• A piece of whole fruit: apples, pears, clementines
• Fresh or frozen berries
• Cherry tomatoes
• Edamame (also gives you protein and fiber)

Whole grains:

• Air-popped popcorn
• Multigrain crackers
• Whole grain cereal
• Whole grain toast
• Whole grain pretzels
• Low-sodium tortilla chips

Lean proteins:

• Low-fat yogurt (choose Greek yogurt for even more protein, and plain yogurt for less sugar)
• Low-fat cheese: cottage cheese, cheese sticks, cheese slices
• Hummus or other bean dip
• Peanut butter
• Nuts and seeds
• Roasted chickpeas
• Tuna and salmon packets

Putting it all together

Here are some ideas for yummy snack combos that will satisfy your hunger:

• Banana and trail mix
• Fruit/veggie/yogurt smoothie
• Low-fat latte and a fruit and nut bar
• Tortilla chips, bell pepper slices and bean dip
• Whole grain pretzels and peanut butter
• Yogurt and berries
• Raw veggies and a yogurt dip (mix plain Greek yogurt with a soup mix, like French onion)
• Whole grain crackers, grapes and low-fat cheese
• Apple slices and deli ham

Stock your kitchen with healthy snacks. Most importantly, remember to take them with you so you’re always ready for a snack attack.